The proliferation in the use of portable electronic devices has led to the development of a number of different types of input devices for entering information into the portable devices. These input devices can include keypads, touchpads, touchscreens, displays, joy-sticks, pointing devices such as a mouse or a stylus, and audio response units. The designs of some of these input devices can be complex, as can the underlying electronics needed to process the entered information. Moreover, use of these input devices can require a level of dexterity that can be difficult for individuals having physical disabilities to achieve. Individuals with such disabilities can benefit from having a simplified interface for entering user information.
For example, to activate a function of the electronic device, it can be necessary for a user to press certain keys of a keypad, or activate certain areas of a touchscreen or touchpad. Such actions can require an user to be sighted and to possess a certain amount of dexterity to activate the relatively small-sized keys or areas of the touchscreen or touchpad. It can be preferable to activate a function simply by contacting the electronic device using relatively larger regions. The contacting can be in the form of a tapping motion, similar to the motion performed using a stylus with a personal digital assistant (PDA). As used here, to tap or a tapping motion means to strike lightly or to give a light blow. Such motion can be limited in duration and can result in corresponding changes in inertia of limited duration.
Such a tapping motion can be detected using appropriate sensors or detectors, and a function performed in response to the detected tapping. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,369,794 describes an arrangement having a motion detecting unit and a motion analyzing unit that analyzes a direction, strength, and number of occurrence of the detected motion. The detected motion is used as a simple switch (on or off) to activate a function. While this arrangement can determine that a motion has occurred, it cannot identify an area in which a contact may have occurred to cause the detected motion information identifying the areas in which an electronic device is contacted or tapped can be used to invoke or control more complex functions of the device without requiring that a user utilize the other more complex input devices of the unit, such as keypads or touchscreens, to access these features.